Telemedicine in the United States

History

2023

Remote health control fraud is booming in the U.S. Scheme

On November 21, 2023, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) warned of a new cyber fraud scheme related to remote health monitoring. Attackers bill for medical services that are either not required by patients or not provided to them at all.

Victims of criminals are participants in the national Medicare health insurance program for people 65 and older. This initiative is designed to help pay health care bills. Medicare can provide remote patient monitoring services. Various medical devices are used, such as scales, glucose monitors, blood pressure cuffs, heart rate monitoring devices, etc. This equipment helps to remotely detect anomalies in patients with chronic diseases. Thus, doctors can quickly detect dangerous changes and provide the necessary assistance.

Fraudulent scheme linked to remote health monitoring thrives

Scammers sign up Medicare members for a remote monitoring service regardless of medical need. Various tactics are used to deceive patients - phone calls, advertising on the Internet, etc. Having found another victim, criminals act on the basis of circumstances: they can send a device to the patient that has not received approval from the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA), or send nothing at all.

In any case, attackers begin to bill for allegedly provided services for setting up equipment, training patients, etc. At the same time, actual monitoring of the state of health is not carried out, but people may create a false feeling of control on the part of health workers.^[1]

Telemedicine nurses appear in the United States amid an acute shortage of medical staff

On October 24, 2023, the non-profit health organization OSF HealthCare, which manages the hospital system and other health facilities, announced the introduction of virtual nurses into everyday workflows. The project is designed to partially solve the problem of an acute shortage of medical personnel, as well as reduce the burden on clinic staff. Read more here.

Americans refuse telemedicine - reasons

In early April 2023, the results of a study were released, which assessed the attitude of doctors and patients in the United States to the concept of telemedicine, which provides for the use of computer and telecommunications technologies for the exchange of medical information.

Telemedicine is one of the fastest growing segments health care in the world. Such platforms have become especially relevant in the context of the peak of the pandemic, COVID-19 when face-to-face visits to medical institutions were limited. However, the prospects for this industry are ambiguous, as reported in the publication of the journal Practice of Medicine.

80% of doctors said they prefer to provide the bulk of the care in person

The researchers conducted two surveys. One involved American Medical Association (AMA) physicians who have an inpatient practice and specialize in primary care. In general, 90% of doctors reported that telemedicine sessions during the COVID-19 pandemic were successful, and 86% of respondents believe that this method is of great importance in terms of communication with patients. At the same time, 60% of doctors said that the quality of virtual sessions does not correspond to the possibilities of personal care.

As for planned or preventive care, emergency medical care and chronic diseases, 66%, 63% and 46% of respondents, respectively, said that telemedicine is inferior to face-to-face care. In addition, 52% of doctors indicated problems with sound or video during virtual meetings. Approximately 80% of doctors said they prefer to provide the bulk of the care in person.

The second survey included patients. Among those who have already tested telemedicine, 50% noted that a lack of access to such services would lead to delays in the provision of assistance. At the same time, 51% believe that telemedicine corresponds to personal care, and 26% believe that this method is somewhat worse. If you consider the technical component, then 23% of patients indicated problems with sound or video, 17% - to failures when connecting, and 18% said that the video platform does not work properly. Overall, 36% of patients would prefer video or audio meetings with a doctor, and 64% favored personal care.^[2]

2022: US Department of Health equates audio consultations of doctors to full-fledged telemedicine

On June 13, 2022, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Office for Civil Rights issued guidance on the provision of audio-telemedicine services under the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA). In accordance with the rules, audio consultations of doctors are equated with full-fledged telemedicine.

{{quote 'Audio consultations are an important tool to reach patients in rural areas, people with disabilities and others seeking the convenience of remote options, Office of Civil Rights Director Lisa Pinault said in a news release. This guide explains how HIPAA rules allow health care providers and offer audio-telemedicine while respecting the privacy and security of health information. }}

US Department of Health equates audio consultations of doctors to full-fledged telemedicine

HHS said the guidance is designed to ensure patients benefit from audio-telemedicine by explaining to healthcare organizations how they can provide audio services, as well as increasing public confidence in organizations' compliance with patient health information.

Warranties include private audio consultations, if possible, subject to reasonable precautions. For example, if a patient cannot avoid being in the same room as a colleague or family member, health care providers should take additional measures to ensure confidentiality, such as speaking in a quieter voice or recommending that the patient not use the speakerphone function.

The guide also addresses language accessibility, Voice over Internet Protocol (VOIP) calls using wired or wireless Internet instead of traditional landlines, device security, record encryption, and decryption.^[3]

Notes